Paper Faces
by clocks-and-cages
Summary: When Marinette's history teacher is akumatized and takes all of Paris back into the French Renaissance, both Ladybug and Chat Noir are saved from mind control by their kwamis - but at the price of their super hero abilities. Now, powerless and separated, they must find a new way to join forces and save their beloved city. (masquerade ball and romance included, of course)
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So I am terrible because I have completely lost muse for my Lorcisse fic now that everything that all this stuff has gone down on Reign. I promise to try and find it soon, and in the meantime I have a new fic - and fandom - to obsess over for a while. I absolutely adore Miraculous Ladybug (because I am a sucker for anything super hero and romance and secret identity) and have had this idea rattling around in my head for a while. Reviews would be hugely appreciated. Honest to goodness, guys, they mean the world to me and they motivate me to keep writing. But anywho, without further delay, here it is! I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

 _When we were younger we thought_  
 _Everyone was on our side_  
 _Then we grew a little bit_  
 _And romanticized the time I saw_  
 _Flowers in your hair_

Mrs. Tremblay was going to be furious.

Or at least, as furious as Mrs. Tremblay was capable of being. Marinette chewed on the inside of her cheek guiltily as she practically flew through the halls, her backpack jostling against her spine and textbook clutched tightly against her chest. Perhaps if it were any other teacher she would be truly terrified, but at the moment Marinette was more worried about embarrassing her teacher than herself.

"I'm the worst student," she muttered.

From a pocket in her backpack she heard Tiki's upbeat voice, though it was somewhat muffled. "Cheer up, Marinette. If it weren't for you, all of Paris would be underwater by now."

"But she doesn't _know_ that." Marinette heaved a sigh. "I shouldn't have stayed so long to help the police. Maybe if that stupid cat hadn't left so early, I would have been able to make it back before - "

Her words cut off into a yelp as she rounded a corner and ran smack into something, her book dropping to the floor and narrowly missing her foot. Marinette stumbled back, cringing and rubbing her nose.

"I am _so_ sorry. I'm late for class, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Marinette froze halfway down to picking up her book. Her eyes flickered upward and her heart leaped into her throat as she recognized perfectly swooping blonde hair and big green eyes. She swore the temperature in the hall rose ten degrees and she nearly fell over again just trying to pick up her book and keep her gaze locked on him at the same time.

"A-Adrien!" she stammered, offering him a too-wide grin. She straightened abruptly and held up her hand in a stiff wave. "H-history, right? That's where I'm going, too!"

His face lit up with a smile that nearly made her melt. "Perfect! We can be late together."

The idea of walking with Adrien, even the short distance to their classroom, made Marinette feel simultaneously ecstatic and nauseous. She nodded quickly, though, keeping that grin glued to her face as they both resumed their previous speed. Feeling bold, she glanced at him and managed to squeak out, "Why are _you_ late?"

He hesitated for a moment and she briefly wondered if she was prying too much. His face relaxed back into it's smile quickly, though. "Photoshoot ran late. I swear, sometimes I feel like an absolutely terrible student for missing so much school. The teachers must all hate me."

"Hate _you?_ " she laughed, though it sounded forced even to her. "How could anyone hate you? You're amazing." A pause, and she felt her face burn when she realized what she'd said. "At school! That's what I meant. You're amazing at school. And besides, at least you have a legitimate excuse."

"What's yours, then?"

She blinked at him blankly as they rounded another corner. "W-What's my what?"

"Your excuse?"

"Oh!" Marinette's heart jumped into her throat as she desperately racked her brain for something, anything. "My excuse! I do have one. It's, um - I overslept!"

Adrien looked at her incredulously. "It's the afternoon."

Her face grew impossibly hotter. "I meant to say that I, um. I fell asleep! During lunch, I fell asleep. It must have been that, er, that physics homework last night."

He seemed willing enough to accept her story, returning his attention forward as they neared the door to their classroom. "I don't blame you. It took me hours."

They entered the classroom at the same time, seemingly right in the middle of something. All eyes turned toward them. Marinette guessed that her face was as red as a tomato and she practically hid behind Adrien when Mrs. Tremblay glanced over at them.

Their history teacher was a petite, thin woman with glasses that were so big they practically covered her whole face. Her hair was a frizzy, springy mess that she combed back tightly into her bun, and she always seemed to be fidgeting with something. As her gaze met theirs, her face turned almost as red as Marinette's. "I - I hope you two have e-excellent excuses as to why you are late for m-my class?"

She always stuttered when she was trying to act strict.

"My photoshoot ran late because of the akuma attack, Mrs. Tremblay," Adrien explained sheepishly, moving toward his seat and leaving Marinette exposed. "You can call my father if you'd like to confirm."

"That won't b-be necessary." Mrs. Tremblay waved her hand dismissively, turning back toward Marinette. "And you?"

Marinette opened her mouth to spout out her own terrible excuse when Adrien cut her off. "Marinette was helping with the photoshoot. The seamstress we normally keep on hand for emergencies wasn't able to make it, and we needed someone with experience. I dragged Marinette into the shoot when she was walking by… probably on her way here, actually."

Marinette blinked, her heart hammering. Had Adrien just lied? For her? She wasn't sure which surprised her more - the fact that he'd done it or the fact that he'd done it so _well_. But then he flashed her a quick smile and Mrs. Tremblay was once again nodding compliantly and she found that she couldn't care as she sank into her chair beside Alya, who was shooting her a look that said she would be demanding an explanation later.

Mrs. Tremblay clasped her hands together, looking momentarily disoriented. "Where was I?" Her face lit up for a moment. "Ah, yes. I was about to make a wonderful announcement. This class seemed so enthusiastic about the Renaissance period, so I spoke with our principle. He agreed that our upcoming dance should have a historical masquerade theme!"

Marinette was certain she'd never seen their teacher look so delighted. She, too, felt a smile spread across her face. A historical masquerade was certainly different than anything they'd had before, and it beat the typical themes that the school usually came up with. She could design a dress that gave Renaissance fashion a modern twist. And besides, she always seemed for feel more comfortable behind a mask, anyway.

A high pitched keen startled her out of her thoughts and her head whipped toward where Chloe sat, one arm draped over her forehead in distress. "That is completely and _totally_ unfair," she complained, dropping her arm and leaning forward onto her desk. "I had the _perfect_ Under the Sea theme planned. I already bought my dress!"

Mrs. Tremblay's face began to turn pink again. "P-perhaps you can have alterations done, Chloe. After all, the theme has already b-been decided - "

Chloe narrowed her eyes and Marinette's heart sank as she saw her whip out her phone just as the bell rang. "We'll see about that," the blonde muttered, and Marinette knew that was the end of the masquerade dance.

It only took a single conversation for the mayor to persuade the principal to change their theme, and an hour after that for the entire student body to find out. At the moment, though, Alya seemed much more concerned about Marinette and Adrien's late appearance than the fate of their school dance.

"Girl, he totally covered for you!" she exclaimed, grinning as they made their way down the hall.

Marinette blushed, glancing down at the notebooks in her arms. "He probably just didn't want a repeat of my horrible performance in the hall. I sounded like such an idiot!"  
"Oh _no_ , don't you go trying to brush this off as nothing." Alya waved her finger scoldingly. "That was a _big deal_. It shows you he at least cares about you getting in trouble with the teacher. And he knows that you sew!"

"Of course he knows. I won his dad's competition, remember?"

"Still. That's a good sign if I ever saw one."

Marinette felt a glimmer of hope and lifted her gaze to glance at her friend. "You think?"

"Absolutely!" Alya's eyes lit up suddenly. "You should totally use this momentum. Ask him to the dance!"

" _What?_ " Marinette nearly scattered her notebooks all over the floor. "Are you _crazy?_ I can't even ask him to the movies!"

"Oh, come _on_ , Marinette." Her friend nudged her encouragingly. "You can do it! This is the perfect opportunity."

Marinette's heart felt like it was in her throat, but the idea of Adrien agreeing to accompany her to the dance was enough for her to ignore it. "It… it really is, isn't it?"

"That a girl." Alya jutted her chin across the hall, where Adrien stood talking with Nino. The very sight of him made Marinette feel as if her tongue were too big for her mouth. "He's right there. You can do it!"

"I can do it," she agreed faintly as she felt her feet begin to lead her toward him.

It was a miracle she didn't faint before she got there. When she was within a few feet she raised her hand in greeting and Adrien turned his attention toward her, still chuckling at something Nino had just said. Her face was on fire and her palms were sweating and her knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment, but she soldiered on. "Um… h-hey, Adrien. I, er, was just…" She paused, gathered her courage, and took a breath. "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to - "

She was cut off by what sounded like an explosion. The entire building shook and she was thrown onto her back, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. She heard distant shouts, someone laughing in the background. Somewhat dazed, she sat up and blinked.

"Marinette!" Tiki squeaked from her backpack. "Marinette, what's happening?"

"I don't - "

There was another loud boom, and this time a flash of gold light accompanied it. Marinette heard screams, saw Tiki fly from her backpack in front of her. There was a flash of gold, then red, before darkness quickly and suddenly consumed her.


	2. Chapter 2

You guys are wonderful and I adore you, thank you for the reviews. They are so, so appreciated. Here's the next chapter, with some shameless dramatic irony. Enjoy!

* * *

 _we need our luck changed_

 _we need some blind faith_

 _you have your upswings_

 _I have my down days_

The world came back into focus slowly.

Marinette had a pounding headache. Her eyes blinked open slowly, fingers twitching back to life. Dazed, she lifted her hand up slowly to her face, passing it over her eyes. When her vision cleared she frowned, blinking up at high stone ceilings. Her arm rustled strangely when she pulled her arm off her forehead and she glanced at it.

Her eyes widened. Her sleeve had transformed into something poofy at the shoulder and constricting at the wrist, though it was vaguely the same shade of lavender as the shirt she'd been wearing before. Her hand flew to her chest to feel a frilly square neckline. Marinette shot into a seated position and stared at the vast skirts covering her legs, her mouth gaping open.

"Tiki?" she squeaked, hands desperately rummaging around for her backpack as her eyes shot around. She was in some old stone building, water dripping from a leak high above, and she was alone.

"I'm here." The kwami's muffled voice sounded exhausted. Marinette turned her attention toward where she'd heard the sound coming from, somewhere buried in her skirts. Shifting the fabric, she rummaged around until she saw Tiki's wide eyes, though she looked somewhat beaten down.

"Tiki!" Marinette leaned forward and lifted her kwami from her skirts, cradling her in her hands. "What's wrong with you? And what _happened_ here?"

Tiki rubbed at her eyes and carefully sat up, glancing around. "If I had to guess," she said, her usually upbeat voice sounding somewhat faint, "I'd say your history teacher was akumatized."

"Mrs. Tremblay?" Marinette glanced at her dress, then groaned. "All this because of a stupid _dance?_ "

"You didn't seem to think it was so stupid when you were about to ask Adrien to go with you."

Marinette glanced down at Tiki with a hint of a smile, grateful that the kwami was at least well enough to tease. Her smile quickly turned to a frown, though. "What was that flash of light?"

"When the akuma victim took over, they seized control of everyone," Tiki said, attempting to float before falling softly back into Marinette's hands. "That light was their version of mind control. You remember Dark Blade?"

Marinette gently shifted Tiki into one hand and brought the over up to massage her temple, where her headache was intensifying. "How could I forget? So everyone's a mindless drone, now, just like his knights?"

"Not exactly. Or at least, I don't think so. I think everyone keeps control of their own minds as long as they do what your teacher wants - act like they live in the time period and don't resist."

"And if they _don't_ do what she wants?" Marinette felt her stomach twist in anticipation of the answer.

" _Then_ she takes control."

"Spectacular." Marinette closed her eyes and groaned, falling back onto the ground and lying splayed out in defeat. "How am I supposed to fight her when she has control of my mind?"

For the first time, Tiki brightened, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You? Under _her_ mind control? What kind of kwami do you think I am, Marinette?"

Marinette's eyes peeked open. "You mean... you saved me?"

"Of course. And you're lucky I did - if you were under her control, Hawk Moth would already have your Miraculous by now."

Marinette felt shoulders begin to relax, but a moment later she became instantly tense again. "What about Chat Noir?" Suddenly all she could see was her poor cat having his ring torn from his finger, his identity revealed, his powers stolen away from him. What was the last thing she'd said to him? She recalled him flying away right after their fight, just barely staying a moment after the fist bump. _"Sure, leave me to do all the work, you lazy cat!"_ She'd been teasing, of course, but what if he hadn't known that? What if he was lying hurt somewhere, or worse - under Hawk Moth's control - and that was the last thing she ever said to him? While she'd admit that there were some days she wanted to smack the smile off his face, Chat was more than just a partner to her. He was her friend. She cared about him.

"I'm sure his kwami did the same, Marinette," Tiki assured her. The little sprite paused for a moment then, looking hesitant. "But... there is a cost to us using up so much energy."

Marinette lifted her head. "What do you mean?"

"With or without mind control, you won't be able to fight evil. At least, not as Ladybug."

" _What?_ "

Tiki shrugged her tiny shoulders, still looking exhausted. "I'm _sorry_ , Marinette, it was the only thing I could do. I'm too tired to help you transform. At least, not right now."

"When, then?"

"A day, maybe?"

"A _day?_ " Marinette jerked upward again, though she was careful not to drop Tiki. "I don't have a day, Tiki! She could have found Chat by then!"

"I really am sorry, Marinette. If there was any way..."

Tiki trailed off and Marinette's expression softened. "No, _I'm_ sorry. I should be thanking you for saving me, not making you apologize for it. We'll figure something - "

"Marinette!"

She jumped at the sound of her name and spun toward the doorway, where Alya, Nino, and Adrien stood silhouetted, just barely managing to hide Tiki under her skirts in time. All three looked equally miserable in their historical attire, but Alya pushed through, lifting her dress and rushing forward. She dropped beside Marinette and threw her arms around her. "Girl, you had me so worried! We couldn't find you anywhere!"

Marinette tried to feign confusion. "Alya, what's going on? Where are we?"

"More like _when_ are we." Alya pulled back just as Nino and Adrien approached them. "Mrs. Tremblay pulled us back into the French Renaissance."

"How do you know it's her?"

Nino piped up. "No one else cares about this time period as much as she does. Plus, she announced some kind of _grand ball_ or whatever that we're all supposed to attend."

"A _dance?_ " Marinette widened her eyes for effect, though Adrien being so close was having a definite effect on her performance. Luckily, he didn't notice. In fact, he seemed fidgety and uncomfortable, his fingers twitching as if feeling for something that wasn't there. "When?"

"Tomorrow night." Alya frowned. "A few people have tried to fight back, but something weird always happens to them. They start moving around like they don't have control of their own bodies. It's pretty scary, really."

"So we don't have a choice?" Marinette pressed her lips together anxiously.

Nino raised an eyebrow. "If we had a choice, do you think I'd be preparing to attend some overrated tea party wearing _this?_ "

Marinette giggled and Alya glanced over her shoulder at the boy gratefully before returning her attention to Marinette. "Hopefully Ladybug and Chat Noir will get us out of this mess."

At that Adrien's head jerked up, and Marinette was startled by the obvious frustration on his face. It quickly relaxed, though, when he saw her looking, and he offered her a halfhearted smile. Even then she felt slightly light headed.

"Unless Ladybug and Chat Noir are under the same mind spell that everyone else is," Nino piped up suddenly.

Marinette felt a surge of shame but quickly shoved it down. Now wasn't the time for feeling bad for letting down her city. They would just have to figure something else out.

"You think?" Alya's eyes had widened as if she hadn't even considered the idea before. "Without Ladybug and Chat Noir, we're doomed. They _have_ to be okay."

Surprisingly, Adrien was the one to step forward, putting his hand on Alya's shoulder reassuringly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't the only thing Paris has going for it. The people here are strong, too."

"But what can _we_ do?" Nino threw out his arms hopelessly before pointing to his temple. "She's in our _heads_ , dude."

"Wait." Marinette glanced up suddenly, her eyes flashing with an idea. "You said the ball is tomorrow _night?_ "

Alya nodded. "What are you thinking, girl?"

"I'm thinking we _can_ do something." Feeling Adrien's gaze settle on her curiously, her face almost instantly grew hot. "I - I mean, we can try. What have we got to lose, anyway? I can even throw together outfits for us to wear." When Nino glanced at her doubtfully she managed a laugh. " _Comfortable_ outfits. Ones that make us look much better than we do now."

"Do you have a plan? _Besides_ clothes?" Alya raised her eyebrows.

Marinette grinned. "I do. But clothes come first. Do you think you guys can find a tailor? Or a dress shop?"

"In Paris?" Adrien actually managed a grin _(one that Marinette could help but think looked familiar, almost like- )_ "I think we can manage."

"Good." As Alya helped Marinette to her feet, the designer began rattling off the supplies she would need. They agreed on a meeting place and quickly split up, though Marinette lingered for a moment.

She felt Tiki fly up and perch heavily on her shoulder, slightly out of breath. "Four outfits in one day, Marinette? Isn't that a lot?"

"Six, actually."

Her kwami blinked, and Marinette grinned.

"I think I'm going to invite Ladybug and Chat Noir to this party, as well."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you guys so much for the positive reviews, they always make my day! I'll be honest, I'm _hugely_ in love with Marichat - I've read just about every fanfic out there, and it's one of the reasons Evillustrator is among my favorite episodes - but I'm letting you guys know ahead of time that I've decided to challenge myself by focusing on Adrinette in this particular fic. In the future I'll probably try my hand at Marichat, but for now I'm kind of curious to see how they develop without their secret identities. This chapter's going to be a huge example of that, so I hope it's decent and you guys like it. Again, thanks for all the support - it means the world!

* * *

 _a lot of friends tell me she's got a halo_

 _I think I knew that right from the get go_

 _but if there's something tucked beneath her floorboards_

 _well that's quite alright, that's quite alright, it's alright_

Marinette grimaced as she tugged at the fabric of Nino's suit, glaring in dissatisfaction at the stitching she'd just finished. It held, but her lines were sloppier and more noticeable than usual. If she'd had her sewing machine, or even fabric she was used to working with, it might look better. As it was, it was only a slight improvement. She'd promised to make him look stunning, and the suit in her hand was anything but. Releasing a huge sigh, she leaned forward and buried her face in the fabric in her lap.

"It's not _that_ bad, Marinette."

"You don't have to be nice, Tiki." Marinette's voice was muffled by the suit.

"I'm being honest! It looks nice."

"I promised them something _brilliant_." She lifted her head and shoved dark hair from her face in frustration. "It's just that this fabric... and I don't have my usual supplies..."

Tiki tilted her head from where she sat on the table. Alya had managed to find them a seemingly abandoned house (Nino told them that most people were grouping together, hoping to find strength in numbers, so there were dozens of empty houses on the streets). It wasn't large, but it had a little room in the back with a large table in front of a window and sewing supplies lying about. Marinette guessed that before the transformation it had belonged to an older woman with a passion for sewing clothes and costumes for her grandchildren. "You've worked in worse conditions before."

Leaning her elbows onto the table, Marinette held her head in her hands. In the other room she heard the quiet chatter of her friends. She'd given them all the task of cutting some of the fabric they'd found - she couldn't finish six outfits on her own no matter how hard she tried - and she longed to be with them. Instead she was left alone to work. The sky had long since gone dark, and the warm flicker of the candle was making it difficult to stay awake. "It's all this pressure," she admitted, staring down at the crumbled suit between her arms.

"You deal with pressure all the time!"

"Yeah, as _Ladybug_ ," Marinette sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Maybe this is what happens to me when I lose that other half of me. I just become this useless, scared little girl."

"You know that's not true." She felt Tiki's small figure brush against her arm comfortingly. "Marinette is just as strong and tough as Ladybug."

"What if my plan doesn't work?" Silence. "He's getting smarter, Tiki. If Chat and I had been brainwashed, the fight would have been over before it began. He _knew_ that."

"You're getting smarter, too, Marinette. You just have to have a little more faith in - "

A knock on the door cut her kwami off. Marinette was so startled she nearly fell out of her chair, and just barely managed to hide Tiki under a pile of fabric before the door opened cautiously. "Marinette?"

"A-Adrien!" Marinette twisted around and plastered a smile onto her face as the blonde ducked into the room, holding some cut fabric in his arms.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He offered her a brief smile and she turned away abruptly, breath catching in her throat. Hurriedly she moved to clear a space on the table. He set down the fabric but didn't leave, instead leaning in to look at Nino's suit.

"It looks great so far," he encouraged, and Marinette was startled to realize he sounded genuine. _Probably just being polite._

She frowned, pressing one hand against her forehead. "The lines are all wrong," she mumbled, temporarily forgetting who she was talking to. Instead, all her focus was directed toward the mess of a suit. "And the stitching is so uneven."

Adrien came closer, his hand resting on the back of her chair. She didn't dare breathe. "You're being too hard on yourself." Marinette was terrified to turn and look at his expression, so she kept her eyes glued on the suit. "Honestly, Marinette, you've done more than any of the rest of us. You don't even have your normal supplies, and it still looks amazing."

Her face felt like it might be on fire. " _You're_ the amazing one," she mumbled. Then, realizing what she'd said when an awkward pause ensued, she quickly added, "At, um, working with what you've got. I mean. I meant. I - um."

Adrien moved from behind her, grabbing a chair and dragging it over. His eyebrows were drawn together and he looked so consumed by thought that he hardly seemed to notice her. It was probably for the best - he wouldn't be able to see how red she was. "I wish that were true. I feel pretty useless."

"You're not useless!" Marinette protested immediately, instinctively. "You've helped out loads."

He smiled, but it was halfhearted, and he kept his eyes lowered. Marinette slowly turned back toward her work, hoping to make him more comfortable as she took up her sewing again. After a few moments he sighed, and she felt his gaze return to her face. "I guess I'm just used to helping out more. And I'm... I'm really worried."

"About what?" She nearly stuck herself, distracted. "We've got a plan. We - "

"Not about that. I have faith in you." _That makes one of us_ , Marinette thought with a dry smile in the beat of silence that followed. "I'm just... I have a friend. I think she might have gotten - ah - hurt, I guess. During the initial attack."

Marinette's heart sunk. _She?_ "You should go try to find her, then," she said, faking enthusiasm. "Make sure she's okay."

"I can't." At her glance of curiosity he averted his gaze toward the window. "It's complicated."

Subconsciously her mind flashed to Chat Noir. Tiki said his kwami had probably protected him, but... she returned to her work, frowning. "I think I know what you mean."

They sat in surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes before sure finally held up the suit, pressing her lips together and looking over it critically. Not her best work, but it would do in a pinch.

"Nino will love it," Adrien assured her as he leaned forward, feeling the cuffs of the suit. He paused, his gaze catching on something, and Marinette followed it. Some of her brief charcoal sketches of his and Alya's outfits were peeking out from underneath the fabric. He was reaching for them before she could stop him, and he studied them for a moment before glancing up at her. "These are brilliant, Marinette. You're really talented."

She blushed furiously but didn't dare try to snatch them away. "Th-thanks."

"Where's yours?"

Marinette avoided looking directly at him, terrified of further embarrassing herself, and waved her hand dismissively. "I'll get to it eventually."

Adrien's face spread into an uncharacteristic grin that reminded her a bit of Chat as he reached for some of the fabrics and began to hold them up to her. She giggled, leaning away. "What are you doing?"

"What _my_ designers always do for _me_ ," he said with a soft laugh. "It's always, 'What's his _color?_ This is too dark, this is too pale, this is too patterned.'" He mimicked them in a high pitched voice that had Marinette grinning right along with him before she gently pushed his hand away.

"It doesn't matter how I _look._ " Her shyness returned with a sudden ferocity when she realized the way he was watching her, and she turned back toward the table, wiping her sweating palms on the skirt of her dress. "We have a _plan_ , remember?"

"That hasn't stopped you from making sure the rest of us look our very best." He raised an eyebrow.

Not sure how to respond, Marinette fluttered one hand in the air as a dismissal of the topic. "Speaking of, I should get back to work."

Adrien stood and stretched. "For the record, I think _your_ color is red."

Her heart nearly stopped. She stared down intently at the sketches he'd left on the table. "Why do you think so?"

He shrugged. "It just seems like it would suit you." As he began to move toward the door, he set a hand on her shoulder briefly. "It's late. You should get some sleep."

"S-soon," she promised faintly, finding it immensely difficult to breathe. A moment later he was gone, the door clicking behind him.

"He's right, you know," Tiki piped up as she began to move beneath the fabrics, lifting one up to peek from beneath it. "Red _does_ suit you."

Marinette shook her head with a chuckle. "Stop joking around, Tiki." Her gaze caught on the red fabric lying at the end of the table and her lips twitched up into a ghost of a smile. "Besides, you're forgetting about our very special guests. That fabric's reserved."

After a few minutes of starting on Alya's dress she leaned back, pressing her palms into her eyes. Tiki managed to float a bit as she made her way to the front of the table. "Adrien's right, you know. You need rest."

There was a moment's silence. "Do you really think he's okay, Tiki?"

"Who? Chat Noir?"

Marinette peeled her hands away from her eyes and glared at the ceiling. "What if he's hurt? What if Hawk Moth has him?"

Tiki peered at her curiously. "You're really that worried about him?"

"Of course I am. He's my partner." Marinette sighed before grudgingly adding, "And my friend. I don't know what I'd do without him."

Her kwami hesitated. "I can't promise you that he's okay, Marinette, or that he'll catch on to your plan if he is. When you face the akuma tomorrow, you could easily be doing it along."

"I know." Marinette glanced at a green swatch that reminded her just a bit too much of glittering green eyes and a Cheshire smile. Her heart twinged. "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

This story officially has 100 followers and I love you guys to pieces. I am _so_ honored that so many people are enjoying this fic! Your reviews have been both wonderful and motivating, and I appreciate all of your positive feedback. This is a bit of a fluff chapter, I apologize, but it does have Adrinette! Probably as a result of watching that Kung Food episode, which was _amazing_ by the way. I watched it in French at 2:40 in the morning even though I don't know a word, so I guess I win the Miraculous obsession award. Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Again, thank you so much for the support!

* * *

"Girl, this looks _amazing._ "

Marinette looked up from where she was hemming and shot her friend a quick smile. "I'm glad you think so. It's going to be a little tight around the shoulders, but I was pressed for time, so just remember not to strain your arms forward too much and you should be fine."

Alya tentatively reached forward, testing, before dropping her arms and shrugging. "Nino and Adrien look great, too. Even if this plan of yours doesn't work, at least we'll go out looking fabulous."

Marinette giggled, finishing her hemming and standing to admire her work. Alya stepped off the rickety stool she'd been balancing on and spun in front of the dusty mirror they'd propped against the wall, her eyes lighting up as lavender and cream colored fabric swirled at her ankles. "You look beautiful, Alya," Marinette complimented with a grin.

Her friend turned to her, hands planted on her hips. "What about you, then? We have to make sure you look perfect for when Adrien and Nino get back."

Marinette faltered but pretended not to know what her friend was talking about, moving toward the back of the room to gather up what appeared to be the final dress. "I don't have to look _perfect_. I just have to fit in."

Alya was having none of it. "You _know_ that's not what I'm talking about. Adrien was in your room for an awful long time last night, considering he was only delivering cut fabric. And you actually looked like you knew how to breathe when you making last minute modifications to his suit today."

Marinette waved her hand dismissively. She _had_ been somewhat more comfortable around the blonde than she should have been while fixing his sleeves, but she blamed that more on sleep deprivation than anything else. The sky over Paris had just been beginning to lighten when she had finally gone to bed, sneaking into the other room to find her other friends fast asleep and a space saved for her next to Alya on one of the beds. She'd stripped off her outer layer of clothing, finding that underwear from the Renaissance era could be regular clothing by modern standards, and slipped under scratchy blankets. A few hours later she'd woken up again to the sound of people bustling about outside and her friends getting up to prepare for the long day ahead of them. She'd buried her head in her pillow for a solid fifteen minutes, hating everything, before finally managing to drag herself out of bed in time for Adrien to produce a fresh biscuit for her that Nino and Alya had picked up just a few minutes earlier. She'd been too tired to even blush as she wolfed it down.

"Nothing happened." Marinette struggled with the bundle in her arms and Alya came to help her, taking the dress from her hands and ordering her up onto the stool. "We just talked for a bit, that was all." She paused, biting her bottom lip. "He... he mentioned another girl that he was worried about."

Alya dumped the dress on a nearby chair and paused, glancing up to evaluate Marinette's expression. Then she dashed her a grin as she began to search through the pile of blue fabric to find where the laces started. "By the time I'm finished with you, he won't even remember that other girl's name."

Marinette glanced at her somewhat warped reflection in the mirror, dragging a hand through her tangled hair. She had dark circles under her eyes. "I'm afraid I haven't given you much to work with."

"Nonsense." Alya approached her cheerily, hands folded over her chest. "But we _will_ start with that twisted underskirt. And girl, didn't you think to take those stays off? You're so tiny, you really don't need them anyway."

Her friend's fast fingers went to work, first unlacing her stays. Marinette was surprised at how her ribs ached with the freedom of being able to move again. She'd barely noticed she'd been wearing it. Alya tried a few times to straighten the skirt out before finally giving a sigh of frustration. "We'll have to take it off and put it back on again. You don't mind, do you?"

"Whatever you need to do," Marinette replied, more to humor her friend than satisfy herself. At the moment she was simply grateful that she'd designed the Ladybug costume in a way that she could get in and out of it herself - and quickly. She felt Alya remove the skirt and her teeth instantly began to chatter as her bare legs were exposed and she was left in her chemise. "H-Hurry up, Alya. It's c- _cold_ in here!"

"I'm going, I'm going."

Alya had just smoothed out the skirt over the back of the chair when the door opened, startling them both.

"Hey, Marinette, Nino was wondering if the rope you needed could be - "

Adrien caught sight of Marinette and his face instantly went red. Marinette could feel her own face doing the same and had to suppress the urge to yelp and leap into a hiding space, instead bending her knees to make the chemise look longer and covering her chest quickly with her arms. "A-Adrien!" She stammered, her voice far more squeaky than it should have been.

"I'm _so_ sorry." Adrien's voice also seemed a little more high pitched than normal and his eyes were wide, glued to Marinette's face as if afraid to look elsewhere. "I - I just came back to - um, you know what, I'll let you get changed. Nino just has a, uh, a question for you. When you're done."

He spun on his heels and quickly went back the way he came.

Marinette dropped off the stool and sank close to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. "That was _awful_ ," she practically wailed. "Did you see his face?"

"Yes, you certainly seemed to have quite the effect on him."

" _Alya._ " Marinette reached out and smacked her friend on the leg. She took a deep breath and glanced up, blowing some hair out of her face. "That's it. My life is over."

Alya rolled her eyes and helped the darker haired girl to her feet, guiding her back onto the stool. "Your life isn't over. Girl, it wasn't even that bad. It's not like you were wearing _nothing."_

Marinette's shoulders were slumped as she glared down at her feet, unable to keep her face from burning even when Alya had finally put the underskirt back on. "He's never going to talk to you again."

Alya clucked her tongue. "With the expression he had, I'd be surprised if he ever _stopped_ trying to talk to you."

"He was _humiliated,_ Alya. Did you see the way he stared?" Marinette thought she might cry.

Her friend wore an odd smile as she shook her head and rolled her eyes, murmuring under her breath, "When are you _ever_ going to learn?"

Putting on the dress was a feat. With Marinette's experienced hands it would have taken minutes, but between guiding Alya and trying to recover from the incident with Adrien, the process took nearly half an hour. And then, of course, Alya insisted on fixing Marinette's hair, brushing it out and refusing to put it into its usual two pigtails.

Sighing, Marinette obeyed her friend as she was pushed in front of the mirror. "You look _incredible_ ," Alya gushed.

Marinette raised her eyes. What she was was enough to finally make her smile. She didn't know about _incredible_ , but she certainly looked nice. Alya had done well at hemming the seams, and the blue matched her eyes and suited her dark hair and pale skin. It almost reminded her of when she'd been younger and played dress up, trying to look like a princess. She would never admit it, but sometimes she missed those days. "Thanks, Alya," she said, turning and wrapping her arms around her friend. "It looks wonderful."

Alya pulled back and grinned. "And I _guarantee_ Adrien will be staring at you all over again. Hopefully he and Nino have gotten all the stuff by now."

"You go check on them." Marinette nodded toward the door. "They can't have gone far. Just be careful with your dress, okay?"

Alya nodded once, cheerfully, before leaving.

"You really do look beautiful, Marinette." Tiki managed to float up from where she'd been hiding behind the mirror. "Just like a princess."

Marinette twirled briefly, grinning. "You think?"

Tiki nodded. "And I think Alya's right. Adrien will like it."

Marinette's smile disappeared. She glanced toward the basket where she'd hidden the extra outfits and frowned. "I can't be thinking about Adrien tonight," she said after a long pause. "I need to focus on finding Chat."

"You mean fighting the akuma," Tiki corrected.

"Both," Marinette amended, sitting down on the stool and rubbing at her temples.

"Marinette," Tiki warned, "I know you care about Chat Noir, but the akuma is your first priority."

Marinette glanced at the mirror. "I've been thinking about what you said last night, Tiki. About facing the akuma alone. And the fact is, I just - I don't think I _can_."

Tiki frowned. "You're strong, Marinette, all by yourself. You don't need - "

"I don't mean I can't defeat the akuma by myself. I think I could, if I really had to." Marinette played with the fabric of her dress. "But I need to know Chat's okay. It's been distracting me all day. _Everything_ reminds me of him - his costume, the soot in that old fireplace, even Adrien's eyes! I can't stop worrying about him."

"It's natural for Ladybug to worry about her cat," Tiki relented slightly.

"I just need a little time to find him, Tiki." Marinette looked back up at the mirror and could almost see the mask on her face. At the moment it lay hidden in the basket along with the costumes - not an exact replica, of course, but close enough. "That's it, and then I'll take care of the akuma whether he can help or not. I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! I'm off hiatus and updating both Paper Faces and Legends regularly now, fingers crossed. Things are starting to come together in this story - I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I'm excited! Writing the masquerade was every bit as fun as I thought it would be. Thank you so much for your encouragement and comments, they mean so much to me. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

They arrived in style, just as Marinette had promised.

Comfort, however, was a different story. Marinette had convinced the others that hiding the materials for their plan in her bag would be too obvious. In reality, she had shoved costumes for both herself and Chat into its depths and clumsily covered them with some old fashioned makeup and a coin purse she'd found in an abandoned building. The rope Nino had found was wrapped around her calf and held a candlestick in place, making every other step feel clumsy and awkward. Alya wasn't much better off, with the thinnest knife they'd found secured around her forearm. The sleeves had already been so tight that they held it in place and Marinette had wrapped the blade in fabric to protect her friend against being cut, but Alya still flinched a bit every time she moved. Nino, too, was holding back a grimace with every step - his shoes had been the best hiding place for the matches. Adrien had the easiest job, carrying only a few folded squares of parchment on the inside of his suit.

As soon as they'd finished getting ready Adrien had gallantly offered to be Marinette's escort, smiling at her as if their incident earlier had never happened. She wished she could forget it as easily - even now, with her hand on his arm as they approached the grand ballroom, all she could think about was the look he'd had on his face. To distract herself she glanced over at where Nino was trying to keep up with Alya's insistent lead, wincing with every step. They made quite the pair, even if they didn't realize it. Her gaze drifted away from them and toward the other guests making their way toward the ball. Some were obviously wearing the clothes they had found themselves after the time shift, while others had managed to scavenge around and find something more formal. Chloe, to no one's surprise, was wearing a large, elegant, golden gown that accentuated her blonde hair and fair complexion. If it wasn't for the sneer on her face, she could have easily been a princess straight from a child's storybook.

Adrien leaned down toward her, catching her off guard. Her heart nearly leaped into her throat. "I forgot to tell you," he said, softly enough that only she could hear, "that dress looks really nice on you."

Marinette felt heat flood her face while her heart stumbled and her stomach twisted itself into knots. It took her a moment to remember how to think properly, and when she finally did she managed a stuttered, "Th-thank." A pause, and then her eyes widened at her mistake. Hurriedly she added, "You. Thank _you._ " Another beat of awkward silence before she remembered she should probably compliment him back. "Ah - I mean - you look really nice. Too."

He laughed, and the sound was enough to melt her. "Thanks. This really great fashion designer made the suit."

She blinked, then managed to return the grin he was shooting down at her. This wasn't so bad. She was doing just fine. She hadn't even -

Distracted by his warm smile, she nearly tumbled down the stairs that led to the ballroom. Adrien just barely managed to catch her and set her right, and as much as she wanted his hands to linger, they didn't. Instead he offered his arm and she took it in silent mortification, finally tearing her attention away from him and toward the ballroom.

The sight of it nearly made her stumble again. It looked like it had been loosely designed to resemble the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, with high ceiling painted gold and arched mirrors on either wall. Crystal chandeliers were aglow with real candles, reflected dozens of times and making the entire space feel large and warm. Golden statues were scattered about the edge of the huge room along with musicians, live entertainers, and tables piled with food and drink. The lilting string music mingled with the sound of running water coming from the fountains located in each corner. The entire scene was stunning enough to make her almost forget that it was the result of an akuma.

Almost.

"Wow," she heard Alya breathe. "This is better than anything we could have put together for a school dance."

Marinette hummed in agreement. She felt Adrien pause beside her and glanced up at him to see that he seemed to be taking in the beauty of the room for the first time, his eyes widening slightly. Tugging his arm slightly to keep him moving, she silently wondered what had managed to keep him distracted for so long.

"You guys remember the plan?" she murmured as they finished descending the stairs and stood at the edge of the crowd. Many already looked mesmerized by the warm and romantic air of the event, almost seeming to forget the time travel and mind control that had put them there.

"Find a secluded corner," Nino piped up, then dropped his voice when the three of them shot him a look. "Set up the signal, and let Ladybug and Chat Noir take care of the rest."

Adrien's bright gaze was sweeping over the space. "Maybe behind one of the fountains?"

Marinette nodded, too short to see over the crowd but trusting her partner could lead the way. Just as they were about to make their way forward, though, all the musicians joined together into one song. The people who had already flooded the ballroom immediately divided into two parties - those who stayed on the floor to dance, and those who desperately shoved toward the edges of the room to avoid humiliation. The four of them got caught up in the sudden surge of people, and Marinette would have been shoved over and trampled if it hadn't been for Alya catching her under the shoulders.

"What now?" Marinette heard her mutter. "Four people moving through the dance would be way too obvious."

Nino grunted in agreement.

Marinette frowned, watching as couples came together on the floor. "We won't just walk across. We'll dance."

"We don't know how to dance," Alya reminded her.

"We'll fake it," Adrien suggested, looking down at Marinette with a smile. She felt her face grow warm under his approving gaze.

"Er, yeah. We don't have to look amazing while we do it. We just have to get to a fountain."

Nino looked at the two of them doubtfully and Alya heaved a huge, annoyed sigh. Marinette was just preparing herself for their protests when she felt Adrien's warm hand low on her back, gently nudging her onto the floor. She momentarily forgot how to breathe, moving forward with stiff steps that had nothing to do with the candlestick tied to her leg. Alya and Nino were forced to follow, and judging my Adrien's smirk that had been his plan all along.

She forced herself to suck in a breath as she turned to face him. She was suddenly very aware of the candlestick and the fact that her skirts were just a little bit too long. Her bag jostled uncomfortably at her side. No one else had kept theirs out on the floor with them and she earned herself some strange looks, but her resolve was deeper than the spike of embarrassment she felt. She kept her eyes glued on Adrien's chest as they began to move, mimicking the movements of those around them. Marinette realized with a start that some seemed stiff and jerky. _They're being controlled._ Adrien seemed to notice, too, and his brow furrowed.

"Why not just control everyone?" he murmured when they stepped in closer to each other. His hand grasped hers and she swallowed hard, trying to process his question.

"Maybe even akumatised, she realizes that mind control doesn't make for a good party. After all, you only need a few examples for everyone else to follow."

Adrien hummed thoughtfully, spinning her once. Marinette caught a glimpse of Alya, and despite the situation they were in her friend looked impossibly smug. The four of them were about two beats behind the majority, but frankly the entire hall was a mess with people attempting to dance, so it didn't make much of a difference. Marinette tried to avoid looking directly at Adrien's face, instead focusing on the slow but steady path they were making toward one of the corners of the room.

As soon as they'd reached the fountain Marinette practically flew out of Adrien's arms, desperate to find some space so that she could focus on something other than that bright green gaze and easy smile. She moved around the fountain and ducked down, Adrien following suit. A moment later, they were joined by Alya and Nino.

Marinette tugged up her skirt and untied the candlestick. Alya tugged the knife out of her sleeve and let out a huge sigh, unwinding the fabric from the blade and handing it to Marinette. Adrien passed her the parchment and she set to work immediately, tracing out the shape of a ladybug and cat while Nino twisted the rope around the base of candlestick and then used the knife to cut of thinner strings to secure the makeshift platform. When Marinette caught sight of it she beamed. "It's perfect."

Nino grinned. "Wait 'til I put on the finishing touch."

Taking off his shoe, he emptied out the matched and chose one. It took a few tries, but he finally got the candle lit. Marinette carefully folded the paper and placed it around the candle, creating a lantern. Her cutouts on the side shone brightly.

"It's perfect," Alya declared.

Marinette nodded in agreement. "If Ladybug and Chat Noir are here somewhere, this will help them find each other." _And something else_ , she added silently.

"We could put it on the fountain water," Adrien suggested. "They would see it better that way."

They placed it at the base of the fountain. Alya stepped back and nodded approvingly. "Now all we can do is wait."

"And make sure it doesn't drown itself," Marinette added. She glanced at the other three. "You guys go ahead. I'm going to stay for a minute and make sure it doesn't go out."

The others consented, and in a moment Marinette was alone.

Sucking in a deep breath, she reached into her back and pulled out the costume she'd made for Chat. Shoving it under the bowl of the fountain, she added a note on top with a brief explanation of her plan. Her _real_ plan. She'd used her typical Ladybug signature, hoping it would be enough to convince him it wasn't a trap.

"Maybe you should stay and wait," Tikki whispered from the depth of the bag.

Marinette shook her head. "If he's in the same situation that I'm in, then he'd be in his civilian form when he came over here. We agreed to keep our identities secret."

"How will you know he's found it?"

Marinette gave a soft chuckle. "He's Chat. Showy, dramatic, and loud. I'll know."


End file.
